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During the summer of 2007 I was able to live in China working at my uncles silver smelting factory in the small town (600,000 people) of Zhaoyuan north of Qingdao in Shandong Province. I wasnt able to take too many photos because I worked so much but for the first two weeks I was able to visit my friend in Beijing for a few days and then go for a day hike on the Great Wall and lastly visit Qingdao. Then I busted my ass for the rest of the time there working with the Chinese employees, it was pretty interesting and disheartening, they work to themselves to death getting paid crap. They only got Sundays off and worked from 7-6 everyday.
The plane leaving from Houston, stopped in LA, boarded Air China, flew into Beijing, 17 hours...
Beijing from my friends apartment
One of the hutongs near his apartment
The fourth ring road.
More Hutongs
The flag raising ceremony is every morning at sunrise in Tiananmen Square, thousands of Chinese tourists were there.
Forbidden City
Countdown to the Olympics
Tiananmen Square
Lots and lots of the historic core to the city was getting destroyed during this time to make way for the Olympics, these buildings were right next to the Forbidden City and were likely built in the 1600s, such a waste. But fortunately, some of the oldest Hutongs in the city are afforded some protection.
Hutongs near the Forbidden City.
Forbidden City
The White Dagoba Temple northwest of the Forbidden City
Chinese tour groups outside the Forbidden City which I unfortunately didnt have the money to get into.
Taking the Subway
Children getting out of school
Destroying centuries old Hutongs south of the Forbidden City.
This no longer exists today.
This mans house was destroyed by the government to make way for a road.
The Hutongs are being replaced by this.
This area no longer exists either.
The Temple of Heaven
Preserved Hutongs near The Temple of Heaven
Underground tunnels made during WW2 to protect Chinese leaders during the Japanese Invasion.
Wall outside of the Temple of Heaven
THE GREAT WALL
Me and my friend that lived there when on a day hike in a northern non touristy section of the Great Wall that was in disrepair, it was awesome!
QINGDAO
Typical bathroom in villages along the coast.
This wasnt Qingdao but a cherry growing region north of Qingdao which was having a festival that day I was there, the roads were clogged and the cherries were freakin delicious.
Small fishing villages that became part of Qingdao dotted the coast east of the main part of the city where I stayed for a few days. Many were getting torn down during this time and Im sure still are.
Fisherman coming in with the days catch.
The only Indians I saw the whole time I was there.
ZHAOYUAN
Apartment blocks in Zhaoyuan where I lived for the summer.
Whore houses, pretty sketchy.
Streen vendors where they were serving dog and whatever else happened to be around, it was delicious.
Back in the US, had a 12 hour layover in NYC, just enough time to go up on top of the ESB... BAM!